Jun 29, 2009
Rodeos
In my recent posts on calls to ban jumps racing for horses, one of the arguments supporters of jumps racing have made is that people shouldn’t campaign to stop this activity without also campaigning against other forms of cruelty to animals.
In that context, I thought I would draw attention to comments made by Ron Clarke, the man who lit the Olympic Torch at the 1956 Games in Melbourne and now Mayor of the Gold Coast, Queensland’s second largest city.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/mayor-expresses-horror-at-cruel-rodeo-20090614-c79m.html Mayor Clarke described rodeos as “horrifying” and “human entertainment at the expense of animals”. He made these comments despite the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre being used to host a major rodeo aimed squarely at Gold Coast tourist market.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/clarkes-rodeo-stance-receives-seal-of-approval-20090628-d17f.html
In my recent post on calls to ban jumps racing for horses, one of the arguments supporters of jumps racing have made is that people shouldn’t campaign to stop this activity without also campaigning against other forms of cruelty to animals.
In that context, I thought I would draw attention to comments made by Ron Clarke, the man who lit the Olympic Torch at the 1956 Games in Melbourne and now Mayor of the Gold Coast, Queensland’s second largest city.
Mayor Clarke described rodeos as “horrifying” and “human entertainment at the expense of animals”. He made these comments despite the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre being used to host a major rodeo aimed squarely at Gold Coast tourist market.
10 Comments, Comment or Ping
John Barr
These people who are against Rodeos haven’t got a clue about horses or the bull that are used at Rodeos. The amimals love it. most are very docile. I remember, when I was young & used to go to Rodeos they used to have children ride the bulls out at the back paddock. The bulls were gentle as kittens & my own daughter was led around the ring on one of the best, wildest bull of the time. It was also a house pet. It knew what it’s job was when it got into the crush & always put on a big display when the ride was over. Out the back it was a big pussy.
Aug 3rd, 2009
Lorikeet
Well, John, it still looks pretty dangerous to me. How else would you account for the injuries to riders? I’m not sure if the animals get hurt, but it certainly seems pretty rough on them as well.
Apart from anything else, I think rodeos are boring. All that dust…all that heat…I’d rather go to the movies.
Aug 3rd, 2009
ALI
Queensland RSPCA needs to look into the goings on of the rodeos sanctioned under the Queensland Rodeo Association they are by the poorest animal managed rodeos in Australia it is truly disgusting what this association gets away with i have since been converted to anti rodeo after seeing the goings on sanctioned at these rodeos they have no welfare structure in place for these animals or people the abuse these animals suffer is horrendous and the public have to listen to foul mouthed rodeo riders that are bucked off these poor animals and they call it entertainment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aug 24th, 2009
patricia farnell
Claims by those with a pecuniary interest that jumps racing and rodeos do not cause suffering to the animals involved is not supported by what are very obvious facts. Such refutable issues are about on a par with the once widely believed claim yet easily disproved claim that animals did not suffer in horrific, irrelevant and totally pointless scientific research which was really only about getting funding not about improving the health of mankind. I live in one of Victoria’s most livable communities and Im absolutely apalled that Rob Hulls has been writing to Country newspapers and Shires pushing the racing industry and supporting the establishment of more racecourses in vulnerable areas under the guise of
“helping” local econmies. The destructive cost, and serious side effects including dividing normally happy, healthy communities and all the suffering to families that gambling causes seems to waft over the heads of our politicians. Participation sports such as soccer, BMX, cycling, swimming = in fact virtually ANY sport can become a carnival event if it
had the huge amount of money and media support given to cruel unnecessary entertainment. The huge attendances and success of recent world and National BMX championships – BOTH held in other STates highlight the way politicians lag behind changing tastes. Nothing illustrates this more than the success of Circus Oz and the huge changes in public attitudes towards circuses which were using animals cruel practices. In a cashed up society it is easy to lose sight of what our politicians are up to but anyone really monitoring media articles about Rob Hulls on many issues would quickly realise how totally out of touch with thinking voters he really is. Feel free to email me for further examples.
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Sep 4th, 2009
red crab
this type of sentiment is only to be expected as more and more yuppy city farmers take up the tree change challenge.
as andrew knows there used to be a doggers out on old northern road at albany creek these ppl would be really shocked if they new what went on out there to horses.
i would hope that these ppl who campane aganst this type of cruelty dont wear make up .
they are like ppl who drive there cars to a rally on global warming
Sep 9th, 2009
togret
Red Crab . you seem to be saying that people used to abuse horses once, so it is Ok if that is done nowadays as well? Strange logic. I take it you would like to turn the clock back to when women could not own property or vote? That used to be ‘the way things were done’ years ago.
Sep 9th, 2009
red crab
not at all i think that crulty to anything is wrong.
but what i see is a bunch of ppl who try to make changes to things they know nothing about eg yuppy farmers.
we have a generation of ppl who are usless because they have not been able to experiment as children because mabe they mite scratch themselves
ppl try to sue councils for hitting there head after diving into the surf because there is no sign saying your an idiot and need a sign not to do a stupid thing
most of the ppl who make a noise about things like this only want to get there face in the media think about it the lord mayor of the gold coast give me a break i wonder when the next election is.
queensland is the home of rodeo in australia its been going on for over 100 yrs and men were breaking horse,s long before that .
as for jump raceing i think it should be band to because it is cruel and stupid but on the other hand those horses they use if they were not doing that would be in a can of dog food. so whats the solution.
id say that most of the ppl who make these stupid clames have never been to a race or rodeo etc etc they act on hearsay and the media .
you wouldent hear from these ppl if some one say left a 100 horses to starve to death some where or mabe a fire bug who set a fire that killed thousands of native animals .
how about the camel problem we have now they are destroying the enviroment and we get some idiot in america making comment on something they know nothing about and more fools who lisen to them with out wanting to know why.
then there are those who put down the ppl who do ask the questions
because they dont want to look foolish for not looking themselves.
sorry if i have offended any one but i state the truth only as i see it
Sep 12th, 2009
HorseCrazy
Some people just don’t know what they are talking about, the bulls they have are bred for this and are really well looked after, have they seen the build on those things, if they were mistreated they would be skinny bedraggled looking things, they are the most magnificent looking animals and so are the horses, a horse or bull that is malnourished or mistreated wouldn’t have the energy to kick and buck doesn’t matter how much you try to make them. If anything, its the riders that get hurt, why don’t they complain about the poor riders getting hurt… how can a 100kg man hurt a ton of bull. Think people…
Dec 23rd, 2009
paul walter
I’d largely go along with AB, but sympathise with RC’s remark concerning culling of feral (to a given habitat) species.
In SA, since Koalas were released on Kangaroo Island last century, with the best of intentions, their population has exploded, with disastrous consequences for the Koalas and the island’s ecology.
Yet any effort to cull this population even thru dire necessity, has been met with fierce resistance, in emotive campaigns on tabloid telly and the metropolitan newspaper.
Politicians cower at this sort of thing.
If my memory serves me correctly, the marvellous Sanda Kank of the Democrats was one of the rare few local pollies prepared to bite the realist bullet on this issue
Dec 30th, 2009
togret
Horsecrazy and Red Crab – would you be prepared to have a tight band put on your genitals so that the pain made you kick and plunge in an effort to get relief? You might be in good physical condition beforehand and afterwards, but why would anyone pay to see animals tortured? Look at the bands around the loins of the bulls and horses next time you got to a rodeo and tell me you’d enjoy that done to yourself.
My grandmother was born in 1905 in the backblocks of Victoria. She did everything a man does on a farm as well as look after the kids while her shearer/drover husband and father were off looking for work. She was no namby-pamby, and she was revolted by rodeos. Compassion for animals and good husbandry is not a new idea, even though it unfortunately has not gained universal acceptance in the bush, as well as the suburbs.
I used to work in an abbatoir which killed horses for meat … I know a bit about how that is done, and it is easy to see the differences between beasts humanely handled and those handled by dolts who have no capacity for empathy and efficient animal husbandry.
May all who read this enjoy peace and happiness in the New Year.
Dec 31st, 2009
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